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Strange Tale of Panorama Island

Strange Tale of Panorama Island

by Suehiro Maruo

Published by Last Gasp

272p, b&w, hardcover, 7"x10"

$24.95

Out of Stock

"Set in 1920s Japan, The Strange Tale of Panorama Island follows the twisted path of failed novelist Hitomi, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the son of a rich industrialist.

Hitomi learns of the rich man’s sudden death and creates a desperate plan, successfully impersonating the now-dead son. Hitomi takes over all aspects of the industrialist’s life, including his company, his fortune, and eventually his wife. There he redirects the family’s wealth to his own perverse aims.

On a remote and mysterious island, he builds for himself a playground of hedonistic excess -replete with decadent feasts, orgies, and dark secrets.

Stunning artwork by master manga artist Suehiro Maruo deftly illustrates this Japanese pulp classic in lush detail. Maruo adapted this manga from a novella by Edogawa Rampo, the Godfather of Japanese detective fiction.

Suehiro Maruo was a frequent contributor to the legendary underground manga magazine Garo. His manga works include Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show, Rose-Colored Monsters, The Laughing Vampire, and many others. Maruo enjoys a cult international following around the world, and his art has been featured on a number of albums, including John Zorn’s Naked City. This is Suehiro Maruo’s first work available in English in over a decade.

Edogawa Rampo (1894-1965) was an immensely important figure in the development of mystery fiction in Japan. His most well known works include The Stalker in the Attic, The Black Lizard, The Monster with 20 Faces, and others. A number of films have been adapted from his works, and his stories continue to be read by new generations of mystery fans."